Westmead International School

Supreme Student Council

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: Laws

Protecting Women’s Rights
 GENDER and DEVELOPMENT

Hyman Jay H. Blanco

 OBJECTIVES
• 1.Deepen the awareness and knowledge of
participants on gender issues;

• 2. Identify the differing situations and needs

of women and men and consider them in
every action or decision they make;
 MAIN PREMISES
• 1. That, this is not a WAR OF THE SEXES;
• 2. That, women are not ANTI-MALE;
• 3. That, both WOMEN and MEN are victims,
although WOMEN are usually/oftentimes the
victims than MEN;
• 4. That, both MEN and WOMEN have a
stake in the struggle from Gender Equality.
• Any Discussion On GAD
Starts With The Difference Between
SEX And GENDER

• SEX Is a natural distinguishing variables based

on biological characteristics of being a woman
or man. It refers to physical attributes
pertaining to a persons body contours,
chromosomes and reproductive organs.
• GENDER - Refers to the socially
differentiated roles, characteristics and
expectations attributed by culture to
women and men. It is set of
characteristics that identifies the social
behavior of women and men and the
relationships between them.
• Gender roles, expectations and
perceptions both women and men into
situations that constrain their capacity
to do and capacity to be, hindering, in
turn, their potentials to attain a full and
satisfying life.
- Draw the first image (s) that come to
your mind when you hear the word
“Woman”;

- When you hear the word “Man”

• INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIALIZATION
• A. FAMILY/PARENTS IMPLICATIONS
- Boys should be While boys should
aggressive, go out; have the privilege
trained to be decision- to go to school since
makers and leaders they will be future
breadwinners.
• Girls are trained in house When there are limited
work. resources, girls should
stay at home.
 B. FAMILY/HUSBAND IMPLICATIONS
AND WIFE
- Husband who consults his “Under de saya”;
wife for decision; husband Ridiculed by pals
who goes home early; and relatives;
husband who does not Restrictions affect
go out on “nights out” w/ men’s self esteem
friends; no vices
C. SCHOOL IMPLICATIONS
Courses for boys: Not an opportunity
Engineering; Medicine to choose but an
Architecture imposition.
Courses for girls:
Nursing, Social Work;
Secretarial; Education.
On out-of-wedlock A girl who gets pregnant
Pregnancy while studying, gets
kicked out, but a boy who
gets a girl pregnant does
not receive any sanction
D. CHURCH IMPLICATIONS
Wedding rites Misinterpretation of rite:
WIFE, submit to your husband
MAN, love your wife (forgets
the line. . As you love GOD)
> used by some to justify why
women should stay with a
batterer.
E. GOVERNMENT IMPLICATIONS

- Men in general get Less opportunities for

higher pay at work women to take leader-
ship positions
 A COMPARISON (CSC 2008)

- Senate:
Male - 20
Female - 3
- Congress:
Male - 214
Female - 54
- Supreme Court Justices (2010)

Male - 12
Female - 3
 -Governors
Male - 52
Female - 15
- -Mayors
Male - 1,083
Female - 258
F. WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS

- Women in general, “TRABAHO NA,

work in service BAHAY PA”
industries (an
extension of their
expected role at home)
 G. MEDIA IMPLICATIONS
-Women in Advertisements: Women should always
Cosmetic ads- Convey that be YOUNG and BEAU
for a woman to be loved, TIFUL (a self-worth
dapat maganda, makinis based on men’s
sexy perceptions)
-Other product ads: WOMEN ARE
SEX OBJECTS

BUY THIS BEER/LIQUOR (pangkama,

CAR – and this woman will pampagana, pam
be yours pasaya)
 MANIFESTATIONS OF GENDER BIAS

♂ ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION
- Under or non- violation/recognition of
women’s work
- Unequal pay for work of equal value
- Last to be hired, first to be fired
- Limited opportunities
- Exacting sex favours
• POLITICAL SUBORDINATION
• Position - Women always attend PTA meetings, but
when a man attends one, he even gets elected as
president.
• Status - Women have no identity, when they get
married, they usually carry the names of their
husbands.
• Decision Making - Women cannot make decisions
by themselves. They still have to consult their
husbands.
• Process Of Socialization- Women are accepted as
second class citizen next to men. Even in dancing it is
the man who directs the woman.
 ♂MULTIPLE BURDEN

Parenting or child rearing

Housework

Women work outside their homes but they are

still expected to perform domestic responsibilities and
take care of the children.
 • GENDER STEREOTYPING

• Child Rearing - Expected To Take Care Of The Children

• Religion - Does not allow women to be free with what
they wear, or are merely subordinates
• Occupation - Nurses, teachers, Maids, Social Workers
• Education - “Pambahay Lang, Hindi Na Pag – Aaralin Sa
High School o College”
• Language - Language used in our culture is a man thing-
humanity, manhole, policeman, postman,
utility man, chairman.
• Behavior - Women Are Weak
• Media - Women are often portrayed as virgin or
“vamp” and as sex object.
♂ VIOLATION AGAINST WOMEN
 Verbal, psychological and physical abuse
forms of violence: jokes, wolf whistles, peeping,”
tsansing”, making sexual passes, sexual harassment,
domestic rape, prostitution.

♂ PERSONAL ( Epekto Sa Pagkatao)

 Low Self – Esteem
No Control Over One’s Body